- June 22, 2026
Father’s Day was established in the United States, in the early 20th century, as an annual commemorative holiday to celebrate fathers, fatherhood, paternal bonds and to complement Mother’s Day. Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In 2026, Father’s Day was celebrated on June 21st.
Two noteworthy and inspirational events which honored fathers occurred before Father’s Day became a nationally celebrated holiday.
On December 6, 1907, a coal mine explosion in Monongah, West Virginia killed 362 men, the worst mining disaster in U.S. history. On July 5, 1908, a church service was organized in Fairmont, West Virginia by Grace Golden Clayton, the daughter of a minister, to honor all fathers, especially those who perished in this disaster. This observance was a one-time local event and very few people outside of the local area knew anything about it.
While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington was inspired to propose a Father’s Day celebration to recognize exceptional fathers like her own father, William Jackson Smart, who was a widowed American Civil War veteran who raised her and five other siblings as a single parent. Dodd launched a campaign where she suggested her own father’s birthday, June 5, as the day to celebrate all fathers. The Spokane Ministerial Alliance, a non-partisan and non-profit alliance of congregations, unions, student and community groups, and her local YMCA signed a petition to create a day to celebrate fathers. The mayor of Spokane and the governor of Washington signed proclamations to celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June. The first statewide Father’s Day celebration took place in Washington on June 19, 1910.
Due to social beliefs and resistance it took over 60 years from the first statewide observance of Father’s Day for it to evolve into a national holiday.
In the early 1900s, men felt that tributes to women such as Mother’s Day were acceptable and deserving; however, men associated tributes such as Father’s Day to be too effeminate. Timothy Marr, an American studies professor and historian, ascertains that men in the early 1900s “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products—often paid for by the father himself.”
In 1913, a bill to establish a national Father’s Day was introduced in the U.S. Congress. Despite support from President Woodrow Wilson the bill was not passed due to fears that the day would become too commercialized.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson helped popularize early local observations of Father’s Day when he sent a telegraph communication from Washington, D.C. to Spokane, WA to signal the unfurling of an American flag.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge voiced support for the establishment of a national Father’s Day as he encouraged state governments across the U.S. to formally observe the holiday. Coolidge’s support was intended to “establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.” However, an official national proclamation for the establishment of Father’s Day was not proposed as many men continued their disdain for such a day.
During the Great Depression (1929-1941), the worst economic downturn in U.S. history, the establishment of a national Father’s Day was encouraged by many struggling stores, shops and industries in an attempt to persuade consumers to purchase additional items for fathers.
During the U.S.’s involvement in World War II (1941-1945) support for a national Father’s Day was heightened due to the appreciation and respect for all the men deployed on the front lines of the war.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Proclamation 3730 which established the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. This proclamation stated that “In the homes of our nation, we look to the fathers to provide the strength and stability which characterize the successful family.” This proclamation gave official recognition to this well-established tradition; however, it fell short of making Father’s Day a permanent national holiday.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon issued Proclamation 4127 which established Father’s Day as a permanent national holiday. This proclamation stated that “This is fitting and good. Let each American make this Father’s Day an occasion for renewal of the love and gratitude we bear to our fathers, increasing and enduring through all the years.”
Fortunately, Sonora Smart Dodd, the “Mother of Father’s Day,” lived long enough to see her dream of a national Father’s Day holiday become reality.
Father’s Day is a huge economic driver in the U.S. In 2026, total spending is forecasted to reach a record high of $27.9 billion, an increase from the previous record of $24 billion in 2025. The highest-grossing sales on Father’s Day are experiences over items which include special outings such as dinners and sporting events. The top physical gifts include clothing, greeting cards, personal care items and tools.
In 2026, Father’s Day events and celebrations around the nation include festivals, outdoor events with live music and special brunches. Spokane, Washington, the historical birthplace of Father’s Day, hosts several events including free scenic rides for fathers on the Numerica SkyRide and the historic Looff Carrousel at Riverfront Spokane. A craft beer tasting journey called the Spokane Craft Beer & Cider Tour visits several local alehouses. Tours are conducted through the Craftsman-style bungalow (Father’s Day House), John and Sonora Smart Dodd House, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania celebrates Father’s Day with events including free admission for father’s at the Pittsburgh Zoo, specialty brunch featuring barbecue at the National Aviary, classic car gatherings, lunch cruises on riverboats on the iconic “Three Rivers” (Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers) and special musical tributes.
Sheridan, Texas celebrates Father’s Day with events including free admission for fathers at the Splashway Waterpark which includes a Belly Flop contest (with a $100 prize), funnel cake eating contests, and sports trivia.
In 2026, Father’s Day events and celebrations around Florida include specialized food promotions and outdoor events including regional sporting competitions. Jacksonville celebrates Father’s Day with events and activities which include the Ultimate Dad Joke Steak Class which teaches fathers how to sear the perfect steak, bake chocolate lava cake and make gourmet mac and cheese. Dave & Buster’s hosts the annual Dad Games Arcade Challenges competition which feature Pop-A- Shot, Skee-Ball and racing game challenges.
Palm Coast hosts the 18th annual Father’s Day Lacrosse Tournament, Florida’s largest Father’s Day weekend lacrosse event, which includes over 150 youth lacrosse teams.
Sarasota celebrates Father’s Day with the Dad’s Day Block Party at The Mall at University Town Center which features more than 40 local vendors, miniature golf and player meet-and-greets from Tampa Bay sports teams.
Happy Father’s Day to all dads!
